Truck bolster



Nov. 11, 1930. H'. c. DRElBuss El' AL 1,781,106

TRUCK BOLSTER FiledAug. s1, 1929 z sheets-sheet 1 IIIILL NOV. 1l, -1930. H, C, DE|BUS$ El' AL 1,781,106

TRUCK BoLsTER Filed Aug-- 31,V 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Nov. 11', 1.930

UNITED STATES PATENT oFElcE y HARRY C. DREIBUSS AND GEORGE S. GHIL'ES; OF LOUIS, MISSOURI, .ASSIGNORS TO SCULLIN STEEL COMPANY, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, A

CORPORATION or DELAWAREv a TRUCK BoLsTER Application ledvAugust 31,1929. Serial No. 389,732.

This invention relates to improvements in truck bolster design and principally to the construction of a truck bolster whereby reinforcements are provided for-the side bearing supports. Y A customary design for truck bolster consists of a substantially vtruss shaped girder having an upper compression member and a lower tension member joined by vertical side Walls resulting in an approximately rectangular transverse section. Supports are generally provided for the side bearings on the upper surface of the compression 4member adjacent to the ends of the bolster. The vertical load at the side bearings will be substantially clo-se to the longitudinal center line of the bolster and it is therefore necessary to provide some form of reinforcement within the section of the truck bolster to prevent bending of the compression member. If a vertical rib is provided connecting the upper and the lower webs of the bolster the load will tend to bendkboth the upper web and the lower web 'j y l y Vof the bolster illustrated in Figure 6.

and it is therefore desirable to transmit the load in some manner to the vertical side walls in order to resist the bending tendency of the upper and lower webs. Various methods of reinforcements have been proposed and in one form diagonal braces are provided which connect at their lower ends adjacent to the corners between the side walls and the lower tension member. Y

It is an object of the present invention to provide improvements in integral reinforcing means for the side bearings of a truck bolster whereby greater strength is provided.

Itis further an object of the present invention to provide a construction of reinforcing means for the side bearings of a truck bolster which is economical in manufacture and adaptable to efficient casting of the bolster.

It is further an additional object `of the present invention to provide bracing ribs located within thesection of the bolster at the side bearings which are formed curved or corrugated in horizontal section in order to provide greater strength in resisting compressive loads.

Additional advantages will be more readily apparent from the following descriptions taken in connection with the attached drawings, in which Figure 1 is a partial plan view of av truck ribs for theside bearing support.

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the portion of the bolster illustrated in Figure l.

Figure 3 is an end view of the bolster.

Figure 6 is an enlarged plan view of thev side bearng support of the bolster in which a 'portion of the compression member has been brokenv away to more clearly indicate the lstrengthening ribs which constitute a modilication. of the shape illustratedinl Figures 1 to 4 inclusive.

Figure 7 is a side elevation'of thevportio-n cation in the shape of the strengthening ribs,

and f Figure 10 is a transverse sectionon the plan indicated by 10-10 in Figure 9.'

vThe outline of the bolster may be generally of customary shape and comprisesa substan- -tially flat upper web or compression member bolster in which a portion of thecompression member hasvbeenY broken away in order to. more clearly illustrate vthe strengthening f .A Figure l 1s a transverse section taken on the 10, a lower web' or tension memberf11, connected by vertical side Walls 12-12- The mid portion of the compression member 10 is formed with the usual integral centerv plate 13. Suitable ribs 14-14 may be provided, extending between the upperl and Vlower webs 10 and 11 to strengthen the support of the center bearing 18'. Column guide-s 15 maybe provided extending from the side walls 12 adjacent to the end of the bolster. Openings 16 and 17 may be provided in the upper web 10 of the bolster in order to lighten the construction. It is customary to form the bolster with the deepest section at the center, gradually reducing the depth towards the end of ment thereof.

i aSfShown at 24.

60 i 'Y "Strengthening ribs 3S ShOWn iniFgure tvv-111 6e lower web.

the bolster. `-It is further customary to enlarge'the width of the bolster from the center l f plateftowards the ends thereof.y VItV will-be f understood that the improvements to vbe 'described mayY be adapted tomany different shapes ofbolster withoutdeparting from 'the spirit of the invention.

The side bearing support `18 is kgenerally Y indicated .formed as .a A.slightly raised Hat 1`0 surface of :thefupper web l0 'of the .bolster adjacent tothe spring supports 19 comprising the ends of the bol-ster. The 'side'lt'ae'arin''gs are adapted to receive the load transmitted 'from the supported'car V'during rocking Inove-l Itis customarypractice to employ roller bearings carried by the body bolster or otherwise secured to the car', whichv Y are arranged ,to-travel upon the sidebearing supports of the truckfbolsten The-xvertical 20' loadat the ysidebearings isfnormallyy transmitted atl the longitudinal center line Vof the "bolster but mayfattime'sbe nearer the yside walls upon pivotal -movement of the truck bolsterrelative to thefcar.

g5 `It isobviousthat tl'ieupper web of vthe bolster vmustbe reinforced in `some manner to provide properV strengthV to stand up under the impact duetothe side bearingclearances l and theffullload actingfupon therollingof 50 the car; In general practicevertical ribs have Y* been provided within fthef truck bolster connec'tin the upperand lower webs at points l i r beneat theside bearings.'VV This construction is not'desi'rable since; the load upon the lside l y Y bearings will vtend to cause bending of both theupper and'lowerfwebs. It is therefore necessary to provide some means ofre`inforce-v ment by whichthe load acting upon thev sidel bearing `at the longitudinal center lineof-the 40 bolstergwill .be transmitted to the vertical .sidewalls of 'the bol-ster `or to points adjacent thereto. Y i one f ormbf' construction there may be employed a pair o'fribs 20and 21 disposed as 45 illustrated in vertical section of F igure't. g

` The ribs 20 and 21connect to theu'ndersurfacce-f thek compressiony member {ajtffpoints [spaced at short distances from the centerline Y, of the bol-sterf lThe lribsf20 and21 diverge y Qtowardstheirflowerends where they are con- ,fnec'ted tothe inner surface ofthe bottom of the bolster. The lower! corners ofthe -bol- 4ster arerounded Vas indicated at 22 and 23. The-ribs QOand 21 connect to theweb .11 adj acent to the points where the rounded corners 22 and 23 begin'. A"The connections between ltheribs 2O and 21 and the Yupper and lower webs are yalso provided with filletedcorners lt will "be readily apparent thatv thel tend to =`transmit. the load towards 'the side walls '12.of the bolster;v It will Vtherefore 1v not result in bendingof either` the upper or ing to kthe ribs 20 and 2l are; evenly curved ymumY thickness` of metal; ,It may also be erations'., -v Y It will :be understood lthat"only,preferred In'orderto facilitate the manufacture a modified construction may be resorted kto such as is illustrated in section in Figure 5 in whicln7 the lower portion` of the ribs 20 and Qlare straight as at 25y and 26 for a short .distance upward from the lower web 11. In casting this form of bolster dry sand cores are placed along the inside bottom of Y Ytim-loolster:and.the.Straight partielles f Ythe ribs would then be made ih.tl1cidry-9r$ai vis usualto make the remaining portion of the insideof the bolster of green sand cores.

Accordingto the embodiment disclosed in Figures 4 `:ai'i'di theribs in horizontalv sec tion asillustrated ink Figurel are substant'iallyjstraigltgf VA11@fore vdesirable formation linforder to vprovide "greater'stre'ngth may be such as isfillustrated' Figu res'f'y to Sing elusive', lin which "ribs'ZTfand 28v correspond'- in horizontal-section. Thustlie rijb's127 and 28 are closest togetherat the transverse 4een? ter line "of the side bearingsfand are curved towards the'. sidewalls." *lt will berea'dily understood thattlhe curved' section 'of the ribs, ,2 7 and 28 will 'providefgreater'strength in resisting Vcompressive stresses than the kstraight `ribs' sh'jwnv in Figure "1.; TheCurvedwebs could' also be formed to include the` improvements of igurejs 6 to 8 byjproviding lower portions of the curved ribs vertical relative to the-bottomjweb and'upper portions diag;

onally disposed. i As a further 'modification inJA the formation 'mid portionsas indicated bytli'ecorrugaticns Y 31 and32.` The remaining portions oftheribs are straight `similar to Figure l. This vv'construction' preventsbringing theedges of theribs too closeto the side walls and' per-V mits'easycasting` of the bolster.

In an -Of the illustratedV *forms it win be apparent that thereis lprovided a 'sidebealrving rein forcement which maybe `readily in`- Y ,fegrally cast with 'the'bolister` and will tend toA transmitthe verticalloadupon the side bear- A ingsv towards the rigidi side walls oft-he bolster'. j above i'descri-loed it isk `preferab'le that the ribsbe curved or corrugated inordery e to develop greater strength with the minipreferable "to formthe reinforcing ribs at the `lower portions vertically straight for a 4short distance above the inner bottomef the bolster in order to Arender the bolster-...more readily adaptable-to embodiments have been describedandt'hat modifications Iand changes may be resorted 'to' Vwithout,departing `from the spirit` of our @13a los fizc Y carrying out castingop- '(31325 Y invention as expressed in the appended claims.

We claim:

1. A bolster comprising an upper compression member, a lower tension member and sub'- stantially vertical side walls forming a substantially rectangular section, said compression memberhaving a portion forming a side bearing support, strengthening ribs arranged Within the section of the boster extending from the compression member to the tension member, the lower ends of the ribs being closer to the side walls than the upper ends thereof and the ribs being curved in horizontal section. v

2. A bolster having a top surface and side walls, a portion for receiving side bearing stresses on said top surface, reinforcing members for said portion extending diagonally downward from said top surface towards the side walls, said reinforcing members being curved in horizontal section.

3. A bolster having atop surface and side walls, a portion for receiving side bearing stresses on said top surface, reinforcing members for said kportion extending diagonally downward from said top surface towards the side walls, said reinforcing members being corrugated in horizontal section.

4. A bolster comprising upper and lower webs and vertical side walls, side bearing supports formed on the top surface of said upper web, reinforcing means vforeach of said side bearing supports, said means comprising a pair of corrugated reinforcing ribs extending from said upper web to said lower web, said corrugated ribs diverging'downv wardly towards the side walls.

5. A bolster comprising upper and lower webs and vertical side walls, side bearing supports disposed on the top surface of said up per web, reinforcing members for said side bearing supports disposed within the section vof the bolster, said members including diagonal portions and vertical portions parallel to the side walls of the bolster, the lower ends of the reinforcing members being closer tg the side walls than the upper ends thereo 6. A bolster comprising upper and lower webs joined by side walls,` side bearings disposed on the top surface of said upper web, bracing members arranged within the bolster section beneath each of said side bearings, said bracing members comprising ribs having lower portions parallel to the side walls and upper portions inclined relative to said side walls.

Signed at St. Louis, Missouri, this 27th day of August, 1929. p

HARRY C. DREIBUSS. GEORGE S. CHILES. 

